Richmond man arrested for arranging sex with teen

A 40-year-old Richmand man was arrested Saturday for allegedly exchanging lews e-mails with a 14-year-old Fort Bragg child and making arrangements to meet the teen and have sex, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies began investigating after getting information Oct. 13 that an unknown man, later identified as Michael Sparks, was trying to make contact with the child through Craigslist.org for unknown reasons, according to the MCSO.

Deputies made contact with Sparks through the website by posing as the 14-year-old chld, exchanging e-mail with him for about a month. The lewd nature and content of Sparks' e-mails indicted he meant to have sexual interaction with the teen, according to the MCSO.

Deputies, still posing as the teen, made arrangements meet Sparks, with the alleged plan being that Sparks would pick up the 14-year-old and have sex.

On Nov. 10 at 10 a.m., Sparks was arrested after driving from Richmond to the Fort Bragg for the arranged meeting, accoridng to the MCSO. During an nterview after his arrest, Sparks allegedly admitted he meant to have sex with the child, and deputies found items in his possession "that would be used to facilitate that act," according to the MCSO.